Fluid bleeding apparatus



July 7, 1953 F. J. @czI-lnrvmruNl 2,644,548

' FLUID BLEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 2s. 1949 2 sheets-sheet 1 'wwf/111101 Fla-l l INVENToR. Fred J Schiemonn ATTORNEY` July 7, 1953 F. J. scHlEMANN 2,644,548

l FLUID BLEEDING APPARATUS Filed March ze, 1949 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 fw A@ 4 A A A A/ Imam/TOR. Fred J. Schiemcnn ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1953 lUNIT'IEZD STATES PATENT oFFIcs 2,644,548 FLUID BLEEDING APPARATUS.- Fred J. Schiemann, Denver, 4Colo.

Application March 26, 1949, Serial No. 83,749u

A (c1. 18s-15,2)

5. Claims.-

This. invention relates to Yiiuid bleeding. ap-` paratus and more specifically to such apparatus including a container having inlets. connected' to one or more bleeding wrenches and preferably.

to a means for producing a vacuum.

O-ne object. of the presentV invention is the provision of apparatus Afor bleeding fluid systems such as hydraulic braking systems on automotive vehicles, fluid transmissions, and hydraulic power operating cylinders or systems. used onl tractors, on agricultural and road working machinery, and throughout industry'.U

In allor the above-systems. provision is.A made for introducing fluid tc replacefluid lost by leakage or-drainage'and cocks are suitably located for bleedingv thesystein torernove air and iluid having entrained bubbles of` air.

This invention has for a further object the provision of a hollow tubular wrench adapted to engage the bleeding cocks, loosen them and transmit the air and fluid through suitable conduits to a container. The wrench is preferably formed with a transparent section through which the operatorv may observe the passage of fluid and/or air.

'A still further object of thepresent invention is the-provision of a container adapted to Ireceive theI fluid bled from thesystemsrthrough suitable inlets and conduitsY connectedV to the different sizes of bleeding wrenches, and provided with means for mounting the bleeding wrenches 4when not in use. Thecontainermay also be Yprovided with a pressure reliefA valve and/or a suitable connection to a source of vacuum.

. Other` and moredetailed objects offthe invenftion will be apparent from the following descrip# tion and drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the container and attachedy bleeding wrench with portions broken away;

Fig; 2y is? asectional view-taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 ,is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig.l l;`

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view o ithe bleeding wrench and a, conventional bleeding cock with portionsV broken away and-'shown in section;

Fig. 5- is a sectiona-lview taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the wrench socket shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an end View of a modied wrenchl Referring now morespecically to 'thedrawa ings in detail, a container. lli-.is shownin-Fig.- 1'l comprising preferably a glass jar I2` having a cover Iwith a gasket It screwed onto the ups-Y per open end.

Cover lis provided with a central opening. through which extends a hollow .tube lSieXtend-l. ing downwardly from a hollow hexagonal stem. 2t. A bushing 22 holds the tube I8 landstem 2@ in position on the cover I4.: A; handle-.241s provided on the upper portion-of the stem 20 to facilitate carrying the container I0.

Stem 2!) hasa. pluralityof hollowconnectors` in communication with the hollow. interior. of stem mand-tube las clearly shown in Fig. 3. Flach of theconnectors 26 is providedwith a flexible tube or conduit- 28attached at the op-. posite end to a bleedingy wrench 3U.

A support 32 attached to stemr 20. is provided with a plurality of ears 3.4, each oi which hasa resilient clip 36 attached to the lower. surface for holding one of the bleeding wrenches when not in use. Arubber boot 3&3 covers the bottom of the glass jar l2 to prevent breakage` thereof.

One of the-bleedingwrenches 3E :is more' clearly;

lustrate one preferred construction.

The bleeding wrench 3i! comprises a trans-.4. parent handle lli) internally threaded'at one end to receive a bushing 42' havingl an adapter44A extending outwardly for connection to' oneV of the ilexible tubes 28. in Figs. 4 and 5 has a luted or splined outer.l surface but may have a smooth cylindrical surface of circular, hexagonal or other desirable cross section.

Handle 4U. at the other end receivesone endv of an elbow 46 andthe other end of theelbow 46 has a wrench socket 48 securedthereto.- Wrench socket 48 is. formed withan opening. 50 of hexagonal or other suitablek shape adaptedi to engage the head of a machine screw 52.'v for removing it from a hollow bleedingcock 54- suitablylocated in a. wall 550iV a lluidfchambery in a hydraulic systemv such as theV braking system shownin Fig. 8. Wrench socket 48 has a cylindrical chamber 58 containing a compression spring 60 which acts against a plunger 62 having a small bore B4 therethrough. After removal of screw 52 hexagonal opening 5E] is passed over the hexagonal head of bleeding cock 54 to press the head into engagement with spring pressed plunger 62.

Since the bore 64 is aligned with the longitudinal bore in cock 54 the air and/or fluid having en- The handle. 4fas shown-` trained bubbles of air will pass through the aligned bores, elbow 46, handle l, and tube 28 into container I0.

A modified form of wrench socket 48a is shown in Fig. 7, which is formed with a twelve point box opening adapted to fit the hexagonal head of a standard machine screw in the same manner as atwelve point box wrench.

The use of the apparatus will be apparent from the above description, and one typical use is illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein the bleeding wrench is shown applied to the bleeding cock 54 on the hydraulic brake 66 of an automotive vehicle.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 three connectors 26 and three bleeding wrenches 39 are provided. Each of the bleeding wrenches is of identical construction except for the provision of different sizes of openings 50 in the wrench sockets` 48 to accommodate dilerent sizes of bleeding cocks. Three sizes of wrench sockets will usually accommodate all sizes of cocks cornmonly used on different hydraulic systems.

In some cases the bleeding operation may be facilitated by connecting one of connectors 26 not in use with a vacuum pump (not shown) or some other source of vacuum. It may be preferable to provide a separate connector extending through the cover I4.

Under other circumstances it may be desirable to provide a pressure relief valve extending through thecover I4, which may also be used for a connection to a suitable source of vacuum. The pressure relief valve would provide an outlet for entrapped air in the upper-portion of jar I2 when fluid is forced into the jar by pressure in the system and when connected to a source of vacuum would draw the fluid and entrained air out of the system through the bleeding cock.

In the use of the bleeding apparatus the h bleeding wrench 30 is used as a wrench to remove the machine screw 52 and is then pressed forcibly against the end of the bleeding cock 54. Pressure is then applied to the system, as by stepping on the brake pedal in the system shown, and the air and/or iluid with entrained air is forced through the bore in cock 54, bore 64, elbow 46', handle 40, adapter 44, flexible tube 28 and thus through connector 26, stem 20 and tube I8 into jar l2. The operator by watching through transparent handle can tell when all of the air and air bubbles have been removed from the system. Where desirable, as when it is impossible or` inconvenient to apply pressure to the system during the bleeding operation, a vacuum can be applied to the glass jar in the manner previously described to draw the air and entrained air bubbles out of the system. When the bleeding operation has been completed, the screw 52 is reinsertedin cock 54 and tightened by using the bleeding wrench 30 again as a conventional wrench.

When the operation has been completed the bleeding wrench is hung on one of the clips 36. Any fluid bled out of the system is recovered in the jar without any loss and can be reclaimed and reused.

In some instances the bleeding cock may be so constructed that a partial turn will align openings within the cock to permit outward ilow of air and/or fluid, in which case the bleeding wrench 30 of the proper size need only be pressed over the hexagonal head of the cock and turned to the position starting the ow.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Bleeding apparatus comprising a container, a bleeding wrench having a transparent hollow handle and a socket communicating therewith, said socket being suitably shaped and adapted to engage the head of machine screw, and a conduit communicating with said hollow handle and said container.

2. Bleeding apparatus comprising a transparent jar, a cover on said jar, a tube extending through said cover, a hollow stem secured to the outer end of said tube, a plurality of connectors extending outwardly from said hollow stem, a flexible tube secured to at least one of said connectors, a bleeding wrench having an elongated hollow handle, an adapter in one endof said handle connected to said flexible tube, an elbow in the other end of said handle, a wrench socket secured to the outer end ofV said elbow, ra spring pressed plunger mounted within said socketsaid plunger having a central bore adapted to align with the bore in a bleeding cock, a support on said hollow stern having at least one resilient L, clip for holding said bleeding Awrench when not in use, a handle on said stein, and said other connectors being adapted to be connected to bleeding wrenches having different sized wrench sockets and to a source of vacuum.

3. A bleeding wrench as setV out in claim 1 wherein said wrench socket is provided with al spring pressed plunger having acentral bore therethrough and adapted to resiliently engage hollow handle, an adapter in one end of said handle for connecting a flexible tube, an elbow in l the other end of said handleya wrench socket secured to the outer end of said elbow, a spring pressed plunger mounted within said socket, and said plunger having a central bore adapted to align with the bore in a bleeding cock.

` FREDA J. SCHEMANN.

References cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,057,723 La Brie Oct. 20, 1936 2,295,539 VBeach Sept 15, 1942 2,453,248 Much Nov. 9, 1948 2,477,864

DElosua j Aug. 2, 1949 

